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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BILL STILL UNCERTAIN
June 1st, 2012 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
The House this week was initially faced with a vote on a motion to instruct conferees to cut transportation funding levels, only to have that motion withdrawn late Thursday afternoon on a
technical issue.
The motion from Representative Paul Broun (R-GA) would have tied Highway Trust Fund expenditures to estimated gas tax revenues, essentially cutting the nation’s surface transportation program by an estimated thirty percent. By asking that the conference report not exceed $37.9 billion in federal spending in 2012 and $37.5 billion in 2013, there would be approximately $17 billion less in spending than the Senate’s two-year bill and $15 billion less than H.R. 7. ASCE strongly opposed the motion and sent a letter to all Members of the House of Representative urging them to vote against the measure. It is uncertain when Representative Broun will seek a different time to bring up his motion again, although it is expected he will reintroduce it sometime mid to late next week.
Meanwhile, conference committee talks are beginning to wear down. Negotiations on the funding title for a new program have yet to commence, while disagreements over streamlining provisions have threatened talks. Committee Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) continues to work toward passing a bill by June 30th, but has urged organizations to continue to push House Republicans on the importance of passing a bill now, as opposed to another extension.
The Transportation Construction Coalition, of which ASCE is a member, held its annual legislative fly-in this week. Over 400 representatives of the engineering and construction industry, including some ASCE members and staff, hit Capitol Hill on Thursday to urge their legislators to support a surface transportation bill. Before members went on Congressional visits they heard from Conference Committee Vice-Chairman John Mica (R-FL), House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Nick Rahall (D-WV), and staff from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
Key Contacts on Thursday got a first-hand briefing on transportation authorization from senior Senate staff actively involved in the current conference committee negotiations.
Bettina Poirier, staff director for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and David Napoliello, senior policy advisor for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, briefed Key Contacts during a conference call Thursday afternoon, saying that staff and the conferees understand that maintaining the status quo in the form of further extensions of SAFETEA-LU is simply no longer acceptable. They continue to work toward developing a conference report before the current extension runs out June 30, and they remain optimistic that this can happen.
Transportation Conference Committee Kicks Off Talks
May 9th, 2012 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
The surface transportation conference committee commenced its first meeting yesterday, with Senate and House conferees taking the opportunity to give opening remarks on what is anticipated to be one of the final hurdles in passing a transportation bill.
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), author of MAP-21 (S. 1813) and chair of the conference committee, began the meeting with a statement highlighting the bipartisan Senate bill. Sen. Boxer stressed that “failure is not an option” and implored members to act quickly in hashing out compromise legislation, setting a target of early June for a deal to be struck. She was followed by Representative John Mica (R-FL), selected as vice-chair of the conference, who also stressed the economic importance of a bill.
The issues of Keystone XL, funding and financing options, an amendment stripping EPA of regulatory power over coal ash, and House language streamlining environmental policy still remained the most important issues needing compromise. However, it did appear during many of the remarks there existed support for the RESTORE Act, Senate TIFIA language, as well as the RAMP Act. The RESTORE Act would direct fines from oil companies responsible for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill to Gulf Coast restoration and clean-up efforts, and the RAMP Act would ensure revenue in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund be dedicated and used solely for harbor maintenance programs.
The general feeling throughout the opening statements was far less acrimonious than the House Transportation and Infrastructure markup of H.R. 7, which saw lawmakers bicker over amendments into the early hours of the morning this past February. Throughout the opening statements, the majority of lawmakers around the table stressed how critical it was to work quickly to get this done and how vital a bill is to job creation, with both sides stressing the need to work for the American people. One memorable line came from Representative Nick Rahall, the ranking minority member on the House T&I committee – “we cannot let hard heads get in the way of hard hats”.
ASCE ENERGIZED FOR LATEST ECONOMIC STUDY
April 26th, 2012 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
ASCE has released the latest report in the Failure to Act economic study series today – Failure to Act: The Economic Impact of Current Investment Trends in Electricity Infrastructure. This report assesses the nation’s aging e
nergy facilities and analyzes how accelerating investments in the nation’s transmission, generation, and distribution systems will prevent unnecessary costs to businesses and household budgets by 2020. This report follows two other economic studies that focused on the nation’s surface transportation systems and the nation’s drinking water and wastewater systems.
ASCE’s 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gave the nation’s energy system a D+. To better explain how the Report Card’s grades affect America’s economic future, ASCE has produced the Failure to Act series of economic reports focused on the real effects on our nation’s economic performance if the nation continues to under invest and defer spending on our energy grid.
This report concludes that by extending current investment trends for the nation’s energy assets through 2020, the U.S. would be investing $566 billion but that would still be $107 billion below the needed investments. To close this gap, an additional $11 billion in new funding annually is needed to decrease brownouts and blackouts and save American businesses $126 billion, prevent the loss of 529,000 jobs, and save $656 billion in personal income loss. America’s economic competitiveness would also benefit by protecting $96 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and $10 billion in revenue from U.S. exports.
ASCE held a discussion with a panel of experts this morning to release the report and discuss the energy infrastructure needs for the nation. The panel was moderated by ASCE President Andrew W. Herrmann P.E., SECB, F.ASCE, and included two former FERC Commissioners, Jim Hoecker and Curt Herbert Jr.; as well as Otto Lynch, who heads the energy section of the ASCE Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, and Samir Succar, a scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
For more information on ASCE’s Failure to Act series please visit – www.asce.org/failuretoact .
Tags: economics, energy, infrastructure, infrastructure report card
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Congressional Recess Is Here, But A Surface Transportation Compromise Is Not Near
April 3rd, 2012 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Congress went home last Friday for a two week recess after punting action on surface transportation another 90 days. Surface transportation programs have been running on a series of extensions for 916 days already, and this 9th extension will continue to add up the count until June 30th. Many in the transportation industry have grown extremely concerned that the House will not take action over the next three months and that programs will have to continue to run on extensions until after the November elections. Frustrations are at a boiling point now as state’s deal with the continued uncertainty coming from Capitol Hill, and as Republicans and Democrats continue to disagree on a path forward in the House. Legislators need to hear from their constituents why passing a new multi-year surface transportation bill is critical and why a continued series of extensions is unacceptable. Use the two week House recess to meet with your representative and tell them how the lack of a new surface transportation bill affects the civil engineering profession, your company, and your community. Share your stories with them in either a local town hall or by scheduling a meeting in a district office. While your Representative is home let’s use this opportunity to explain to legislators why a new bill is critical and let’s not allow their time at home to be a way to escape the needs of our nation’s infrastructure. Over the next 90 days ASCE will continue to urge the House of Representatives to take up and pass a bipartisan surface transportation bill, but with your help the message will really hit home! For continuous updates through June 30th, follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/ascegovrel) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Save-Americas-Infrastructure/213409032028360?sk=wall).Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
March 6th, 2012 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
The Associated Press distributed a story yesterday claiming that a surface transportation bill would not necessarily create jobs, but instead shift investments that are already creating jobs to the transportation industry. However, money invested in essential public works can create thousands jobs across the nation, provide for economic growth, and ensure public safety. The nation’s transportation infrastructure system has an annual output of $120 billion in construction work and contributes $244 billion in total economic activity to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). In addition to the economic benefits, the Federal Highway Administration estimates that every $1 billion invested in the nation’s highways supports 27,823 jobs, including 9,537 on-site construction jobs, 4,324 jobs in supplier industries, and 13,962 jobs throughout the rest of the economy. While Standard and Poor’s has stated that highway investment has been shown to stimulate the economy more than any other fiscal policy, with each invested dollar in highway construction generating $1.80 toward the gross domestic product in the short term. In July 2011, ASCE released an economic study that measures the potential impacts to the economy in 2020 and 2040 if the nation maintains current levels of surface transportation investments. The study, Failure to Act: the Economic Impact of Current Investment Trends in Surface Transportation Infrastructure, found that if investments in surface transportation are not made in conjunction with significant policy reforms, families will have a lower standard of living, businesses will be paying more and producing less, and our nation will lose ground in a global economy. Furthermore, the study found that the nation’s deteriorating surface transportation will cost the American economy more than 876,000 jobs, and suppress the growth of the country’s GDP by $897 billion in 2020. The results also estimate that more than 100,900 manufacturing jobs will be lost by 2020 and that ultimately Americans will get paid less. In contrast, a study from the Alliance for American Manufacturing shows that roughly 18,000 new manufacturing jobs are created for every $1 billion in new infrastructure spending. The nation’s economic health is dependent on a strong infrastructure system. By updating, maintaining, and building our roads, bridges, and transit systems, the nation can create jobs in both the public and private sector, while fostering and growing the United States economy. Therefore, the first step toward a modernized transportation system must include passing a multi-year surface transportation authorization. With the Senate slowly working through a series of non-germane amendments to MAP-21, and the House reassessing their next steps after pulling the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, surface transportation programs continue to face an uncertain future. ASCE hopes that the House and Senate can find a solution and pass legislation in the 112th Congress. In the meantime, surface transportation programs will be subjected to another extension, while American jobs hang on the line.
Tags: economics, senate, transportation
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AWWA Helps Build the Case for Investment in Water Infrastructure
February 28th, 2012 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Our friends at the American Water Works Association (AWWA) have just released a new comprehensive report echoing the call for investment in water infrastructure. They found that the
massive investment needed for buried drinking-water infrastructure in the United States totals more than $1 trillion between now and 2035.
The need will double from roughly $13 billion a year today to almost $30 billion (in 2010 dollars) annually by the 2040s, and the cost will be met primarily through higher water bills and local fees, according to the AWWA report.
“Buried No Longer: Confronting America’s Water Infrastructure Challenge” is a call to action for utilities, consumers and policy makers and recognizes that the need to replace pipe in the ground “puts a growing stress on communities that will continue to increase for decades to come.”
The AWWA report reinforces the ASCE analysis released in December 2011 that concluded that a failure to increase investments in wastewater and drinking-water systems will have a devastating effect on the U.S. economy by 2020. However, the report found that a modest increase in investment can protect $416B in GDP, prevent 700,000 job losses, and avoid personal income losses of $541B.
ASCE’s report, Failure to Act: The Economic Impact of Current Investment Trends in Water and Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure, can be read here.
Senate Finance Crosses Finish Line
February 8th, 2012 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
The Senate Finance Committee put the last puzzle piece in place last night when they voted the revenue portions of S. 1813, MAP-21, out of committee. The committee voted 17-6, with four Republicans voting with Democrats, in order to complete the last step before the legislation could reach the Senate floor. Senators will now vote on a motion to proceed, or invoke cloture, at 2pm Thursday. When this motion receives 60 votes, the Senate will be able to begin debate on “Moving Ahead for Progress in the Twenty-First Century”, or MAP-21. Senators must vote on four different portions of the legislation. First up will be the policy portion that was reported from the Environment and Public Works Committee, followed by the transit title from the Banking Committee, then the revenue title that was reported from Finance, and last but not least, safety measures from the Commerce Committee. Many expect the legislation to be on the Senate floor until President’s Day recess, which will begin at the end of next week. The Senate’s action this week means that both chambers will be debating surface transportation legislation on their respective floors next week. After years of inaction on the topic, surface transportation has finally become priority number one in Congress!Mass Transit Funding Now in Jeopardy with House Transportation Bill
February 2nd, 2012 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
Not long after we posted about promising developments with the House surface transportation reauthorization bill, the story took a startling turn. It was announced that the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee is proposing to divert $25 billion in dedicated fuels tax revenues from the Mass Transit Account as part of the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act of 2012 (H.R. 7). This would mean that transit would be forced to compete for general funds each year to receive any federal funding. However, according to the American Public Transportation Association, this change represents nearly 50 percent of the federal investment in public transit authorized by the House surface transportation bill. ASCE believes that transit is a critical component of a comprehensive transportation network, and has long supported the principle that 20 percent of the gas tax revenues that have been put in place since 1982 be allocated to a dedicated mass transit account. The new House provision represents a major change to surface transportation funding mechanisms. ASCE submitted a letter late today to the Ways and Means Committee opposing the provision, and joined a coalition including the Chamber of Commerce and the National League of Cities in signing a separate letter from Transportation for America voicing similar concerns. In brighter news for transit, today the Senate Banking Committee approved the Federal Public Transportation Act of 2012. The bill passed with unanimous bipartisan support and reauthorizes federal transit funding for two years. Among the bill’s reforms is a provision to establish a State of Good Repair program to assist local transit agencies with a backlog of maintenance needs. The bill will now go to the full Senate. As we saw today, stark differences are emerging between the two bills advancing in the House and Senate. The last-minute controversial additions to the House bill delay a process that must move forward quickly to avoid another short-term extension for federal surface transportation funding.A Promising Week for Transportation Legislation
February 2nd, 2012 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
It’s been a whirlwind week in Washington, D.C. for transportation as both the House and the Senate try to build momentum to pass much-needed reauthorization bills. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unveiled their American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act (H.R. 7) on Tuesday at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol Building on an unusually warm winter day. The bill would reauthorize surface transportation programs for five years. The reforms included in the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act would consolidate nearly 70 duplicative programs, expedite project delivery, create a set of performance measures, and enhance the TIFIA grant program. ASCE commends the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for advancing legislation to fund surface transportation programs. Read our letter to Chairman Mica. Meanwhile, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is busy working to advance their two-year reauthorization bill. Right now, it is farther along in the process than the House bill, as the Senate Finance Committee identifies potential pay-fors. It seems that both the House and the Senate are hoping to take credit for completing a reauthorization bill during this session, and that is good news for transportation. Another flurry of action surrounded the FAA reauthorization bill. After much deliberation between House and Senate leaders, there appears to be bipartisan support for a four-year FAA funding bill. The bill is expected to be voted on as early as tomorrow. We are at the mark-up today on the House transportation reauthorization bill and will be ready to share additional details on the status of both bills tomorrow.An ASCE Take on the State of the Union
January 24th, 2012 | By: America's Infrastructure Report Card
The President will be speaking before a Joint session of Congress and the American people tonight to discuss the State of the Union. The first State of the Union was delivered by President George Washington in January 1790 and since then has become a vehicle for a sitting President to outline his legislative agenda for the upcoming year. During last year’s State of the Union address President Obama discussed the nation’s infrastructure crisis and referenced ASCE’s 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure as a reason why action must be taken to repair and maintain our nation’s roads, bridges, ports, water systems, dams, and rail. While it is not likely that the Report Card will be reference two years in a row, ASCE still has a few things that we would like to hear President Obama discuss. ASCE hopes that President Obama calls on Congress to rebuild the infrastructure that once was the envy of the world and spur the innovative imagination that has historically defined this country. It is through a state of the art infrastructure and a growing number of students moving into fields like civil engineering, that America can ensure that the state of the our union will remain strong for years to come. Since last year’s State of the Union address Congress has only been able to extend the surface transportation and FAA programs, instead of pass critical reauthorization bills. Additionally, since last January the National Dam Safety Program has expired and drinking water and wastewater state revolving funds continue to operate off of a 1987 authorization. At a time when the nation needs to create jobs and grow the economy in order to remain competitive, funding the nation’s infrastructure and producing students who excel in math and the sciences can prove to be the key. Therefore, ASCE has defined several legislative priorities. First, we need to rebuild America to compete in the 21st Century. For that reason ASCE calls on President Obama and Congress to:- Pass a multi-year surface transportation bill at level funding.
- Finalize a FAA reauthorization in the next few weeks.
- Reauthorize the National Dam Safety Program for 5 years.
- Begin work on drinking water and wastewater SRF reauthorization bills in 2012.
- Take up a new Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that includes the creation of a national levee safety program.
- Pass legislation that would reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program.
- Reauthorize the existing Math and Science Partnerships program at the Department of Education.
- Increase funding annual funding for NIST and NSF programs.
Tags: dams, hazards, infrastructure, infrastructure report card, transportation, water infrastructure
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